What's Been Lost
by readandwrite4evernever20
Summary: Qing-Yuan is the water-bending daughter of a non-bending mother and a secretly Equalist father. When she was 14, she lost her bending at an early Equalist rally. Now, her mission is to find the Avatar, the only person she believes can return what's been lost.
1. Someone I Used to Be

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra. I won't even say "but I wish I did", because I know that is in no way a possibility. So... enjoy, and welcome!**

I lost my bending when I was fourteen. I remember that day with perfect clarity, despite my constant efforts to suppress the memory.

_It was the first day of winter, though the weather in Republic City that year had already grown nippy weeks before. There was at least a foot of snow, maybe a bit more, covering the city, and we waterbenders were ecstatic to show off our skills at bending the snow. I ran out into the streets as soon as my mother would allow. The sun was still fairly low in the sky, causing a mystical glitter on the surface of the snow banks. "Qwing! Wait!" my little sister, Meiling, shouted, only 7 at the time. She still had light remnants of a speech impediment, thus her mispronounced nickname for me: my actual name, Qing-Yuan, was too frustrating for her to enunciate. _

_I smiled and waited obediently, loving when my beloved little sister wanted to spend time with me. She followed me around like a baby flying bison follows its mother, and I personally found it adorable. Not to mention she showed me more love than both my parents combined. _

"_Meiling, you get back in this house! You _know_ I don't approve of you running around with _benders_." That was my father. Both non-benders, my parents weren't exactly gleeful when I destroyed the washroom the day I discovered that I was a bender._

_Little Meiling, so innocent, stared sadly at me from the doorway as my father held her back. I waved goodbye, only to her, and hurried down the street to practice my bending. I spotted a flying blur of white out of the corner of my eye just fast enough to dodge it and send one of my own towards the laughing boy. "Jiang! Thought you surprise me?" I laugh, barraging my long-time waterbender friend with a stream of snow. _

"_I should've known better!" he admitted in mock shame, putting up a defensive wall of water and grinning widely, "No-one can defeat the great Qing-Yuan!"_

_We simultaneously halted our playful attacks and hugged. "It's been a long time since I've seen you Jiang, where've you been?" I asked._

_He sighed, "My mom's sick. I've taken on a couple jobs on the side to pay for medicine."_

_We both sat down, snow crunching around us. He was taking on much too much work, and he knew it. But he was a good son, loyal to the death to his single mother. He would find a way to manage, if it cost any leisure time he once had._

_Jiang perked up at the sight of several figures moving towards us, their faces slightly blurred by the light snow still swirling about. "Hey, they're waterbenders, too!" he exclaimed, "Maybe they'll want to have a duel!"_

_Within a half hour, we were all whipping streams of water and snow around, laughing and having a great time. "Hey, what are those people doing?" Jiang pointed out three men setting up a platform and a giant sign featuring a creepy masked man. _

_None of us knew, but we were young and curious, so we paused our game to check out the orators. "Join Amon, and we will have equality!" the man screeched, the slight buzz of the speakers accompanying his high voice, "Just look at those _waterbenders_!" he pointed an accusatory finger towards our group, "Do you see the damage they've done, with their so-called "games"? The city sanitation department has already cleared the pathways, and these nuisances have gone and dumped piles of snow on them! There's ice everywhere now, and they don't plan on stopping until someone slips and gets hurt!"_

"_Oh, come on!" I shouted, seriously annoyed, "It's just a game! We'll clean it up as soon as we're done!"_

"_Seeeee?" The man drawled, a sly grin in his face, "Benders think they are entitled to harm others for their own amusement! The Equalists will put benders back in their place!"_

"_Equalists?" Jiang questioned quietly, "I've never heard of them."_

_We shrank away from the platform and continued our game until the Equalists arrived. Dressed entirely in black, save for the neon green goggles, they sprang out of a Satomobile and began attacking us. Instinctively, we resorted to bending in self-defence. Never before had we encountered chi-blocking, and we were entirely unprepared for the technique when it hit. Dazed and confused, we were quickly overcome and thrown in the back of the vehicle._

_It was dark, frigid, and smelled terribly of gasoline and smoke. We huddled together and panicked when we couldn't bend the water we always carried in a skin. Soon enough, the effects wore off, but we were still powerless against the metal which contained us. _

_A soft cry broke out, and I realized it was Jiang. "Qing," he sobbed, "My mom needs me. If she can't get the medicine in time, she'll die." Knowing he was right, I didn't even attempt to argue, instead focusing my energy on comforting. _

"_Jiang, I'm sure we'll get out soon." _

_The doors cracked open just wide enough for an electrified whip to come flying through, striking all of us at least once. The shock tore through my body, quickly bringing me to unconsciousness. _

_The sounds came back to me first: the blare of a microphone, the roar of an applauding crowd, a slight mechanical whir. I slowly opened my eyes to find myself bound and gagged, rising up on a platform along with three of the waterbenders I had been captured with. To my relief, Jiang wasn't with us. I prayed fervently to the spirits that he had escaped. His small family needed him, wanted him, much more than mine did. _

_The platform finally met with the surrounding stage, and the masked man featured on the Equalist poster strolled towards us. "My friends, it is time for you to see what the spirits have granted me the ability to do." He kneeled down and placed his hand on my head. An excrutiatingly painful feeling seared through my body as I felt something being torn out of me. I was sure this man was ripping out some vital organ, based on the feeling of emptiness that was left in the center of my chest as his hand pulled away. Feeling drained of all my energy, I slumped forward, falling to the floor. One of the Equalists in uniform untied my hands and scurried away, and I feebly attempted to use the water I carried with me to defend myself from further attack. _

_Nothing._

_I reattempted bending, and nothing happened. For a moment I thought this was chi-blocking again, but it felt entirely different. Before, I could still feel the water around me; the sensation then was more similar to a blocking, as the name would suggest. Now... there was nothing. No feeling. No response from the water which now spilled onto the floor as the skin bag tilted. _

_The crowd cheered, and the evil man who took away my bending held his hands high up in the air, accepting their praise for tearing out a piece of my soul. I swayed once before falling to the ground once again, and watched numbly as my fellow benders were stripped of their essence as well. _

I can barely believe I've managed to make it this long, a full two and a half years, without going insane, as most do. I eventually awoke outside my home, thrown onto the steps as a Satomobile sped away. My mother was concerned, my father seemed almost pleased. I didn't understand why until later. When Meiling discovered I had lost my bending, she cried until my father spanked her repeatedly, shouting, "This is a GOOD thing! Do not cry because your sister has been cured!"

She later came to me as I sat on the sidewalk, telling me that she was very sorry and that she was sad for me.

I decided that night to seek out the Avatar, the only person I was certain could restore my bending. I climbed into our tiny, dusty attic, crinkling my nose at the smell of mildew, and packed a bag full of supplies. As I rummaged through boxes for anything useful, I was shocked at the contents of one: An Equalist uniform, neatly folded and complete with the electric glove. It suddenly made sense to me: my father's open dislike of benders, years of being shunned for my ability, his joy when I had lost it. My father was an Equalist. Now that I think about it, he was probably at that very rally. He did nothing to save me. A hand on my shoulder made me jump, and I heard him breathe into my ear, "Say a word and Meiling will pay." He knew I would never even chance my sister's safety. I nodded tearfully, and bolted downstairs and out into the night. He never tried to stop me.

So, here I am now. I still haven't heard from Jiang, but I have met new people during my time on my own.

There's Akiko, who's my age and quite obviously a firebender in looks, dress, and temper. Habiki is an earthbender, tall and sturdy. He is pretty easygoing, but will be serious when need be. Both are genuinely kind people, and have been nothing but good to me. Mizu is a different story. He's actually my second cousin, the son of my mother's cousin. I don't trust the conceited jerk any more than I'd trust Fire Lord Ozai during his reign of terror. Mizu is the waterbender of Akiko and Habiki's Pro-Bending team, the Orchid Gardens Ostrich Horses. I met the team during work; I got a job as a snack vendor at the arena. Akiko was looking for someone to rent an apartment with, as Habiki and Mizu's place was too small for her to stay comfortable.

We live several blocks away from the arena, on the second-story floor of a robe shop. It's nothing fancy, but it's a sanctuary to the two of us, both runaways. Akiko's parents were perfectly kind to her, but life in a village was too slow for her. The fast-paced action of Republic City was much more her speed. She's a great roommate until her temper flares... and so does the consequent fire from her hands. We've spent many a night desperately trying to [aint over singe marks so our landlord won't kick us out. It's not quite so easy for firebenders to rent anymore.

I haven't told her I that I was a bender. I haven't told anyone in my new life. To do that would be to admit that I'm less than what I use to be. I constantly fear that my new friends would look down upon me if they knew. Besides, it's easier to forget this way.

But that doesn't mean I'm not trying to get my bending back. No, I'm waiting. The Avatar, Korra, has joined a pro-bending team, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets. Soon the Fire Ferrets will be competing against the Ostrich Horses, and I will have my chance to meet Korra.


	2. Hopes Lost

**I****do****not****own****The****Legend****of****Korra****or****any****characters****from****the****show****. ****The****Oc****'****s****however****, ****are****my****intellectual****property****and****reside****in****comfortable****quarters****in****my****head**** :)**

Tonight. The Ostrich Horses compete against the Fire Ferrets tonight. I've been pacing our tiny apartment so constantly that Akiko has been worried. I still haven't told her _why_ I'm so excited to meet the Avatar. She doesn't know that a major part of who I am will be returned to me before the morning.

I take extra care when bathing, making sure my long brown hair is clean and shiny as I carefully style it in typical waterbender fashion, with a loop on each side meeting in the back. I even donned a pale blue dress, a far cry from my exclusively black and grey wardrobe up to this point. I wanted to _feel_ every bit a waterbender when I regained my power.

Akiko raised an eyebrow at my new appearance as she suited up for the match. "Not that the dress isn't pretty, Qing, but since when do you identify with the Water Tribes?"

"Tonight's special," I admitted, not elaborating. She would find out soon enough.

"Oh, I get it," Akiko grinned, tucking her glossy black ponytail into her helmet, "We're up against the Fire Ferrets tonight. You're trying to impress the Avatar, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's it." I sighed, following my friend down to the arena. What will she say when she knows?

We arrived in the dressing room to find Habiki and Mizu engaged in a pretty serious brawl. "Boys, act your age will you?" Akiko groaned, trying to separate them. Mizu glared at her and whipped the water from a flower vase into her face. "Oh, it is _on_," the irked firebender threatened, igniting a ball of flame in her hand and swinging it in Mizu's direction. Habiki, receiving a singed eyebrow from the action, raised his five-inch fist, and with it, a good portion of the stone floor.

I desperately tried to break up the fight, dodging fire, earth, and water all at once. "Get out of the way and let the _benders_ settle this, you powerless bitch," Mizu sneered at me while pummeling Akiko with shards of ice. That did it for me. That my own family would taunt me like that brought a feeling of utter rage into my normally peaceful spirit, and I lunged at him, only to be jetted painfully backwards into the wall by a stream of water. To be left so defenseless in a situation like this, my insecurities about my lost bending clouded my judgement.

"_Powerless_?" I shrieked, once again jumping in his direction until a pair of strong hands grabbed my shoulders and held me back. "Who do you think you are?" I growled, spinning around to see which one of the pro-benders had touched me in my moment of rage. I stared back into aqua eyes similar to my own dark blue. I instantly reddened in shame at the sight of my idol.

Avatar Korra.

I just yelled at the Avatar.

"Oh, spirits," I muttered, lowering my raised fist. "Um, I am _so_very sorry, Miss Avatar."

She smiled, glancing over my shoulder at the three guilty benders all looking a little worse for the wear. "No problem. I just wanted to let your friends know that the match is about to begin, and they still aren't on the platform."

I grabbed my tray of food and hurried to the door, hoping my boss wouldn't fire me for being late. I followed Korra anxiously into the hall. "Um, Miss?" I began awkwardly, trying to get her attention from a few feet away.

She turned around, pointing to herself. "Me? You can just call me Korra. And your name?"

"Qing-Yuan. Um, _Korra_, I'm sure you're aware of the Equalist movement? And Amon?"

Her right eyebrow arched, "Don't tell me you're a supporter?"

"No, no!" I assured her, almost dropping my tray as we walked side by side, "Quite the opposite! I'm a bender, or _was_, until Amon took my bending away. That's why I'm here, I just _know_ that you can fix it."

Her smile fell. "I… I can't. A few people have already asked me to try. See, it seems I'm a spiritual failure…I just can't get in touch with the past Avatars to seek guidance."

Her words hit me like a lightning bolt. "What? But I _need_to be able to bend again." I winced as I felt water sliding down my cheeks. A reminder of my element, lost to me. "_Please_," I begged, my voice sounding strangled and foreign to me, _"__please__, __please_..."

Korra apologized once more, and continued down the hall to her platform, casting me a final sad glance before turning to her teammates with a forced smile.

My legs began to wobble, and I crumpled to the cold stone floor, a sobbing mess. I was just glad Akiko and the others wouldn't find me, as their platform was down a different corridor. I had worked so hard to put up a strong facade for them, an image of a bright and happy non-bender. Sure, it wasn't who I was on the inside, truly. Up until now, though, it's who I needed to be in order to move on with my life. I'm not proud that I lied to my friends. And Mizu. Eventually, they'll find out. I just hope that at that point I'll be able to waterbend that condescending smirk off Mizu's face.


	3. Companions on the Journey

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra :(**

**By the way, this is currently right between "The Spirit of Competition" and "And the Winner Is..".**

**Thank you to Marina Rose and munchydino12, my very first two reviewers! You guys are fantastic, and this one's for you!**

Within ten minutes, my wonderful boss located me and ever so kindly shoved me into the arena with a threat of a pay cut. I made my way through the rows, up and down the stairs, trying my best to observe the match without falling down an entire flight and breaking my face. The Ostrich Horses, all fantastic benders separately, were consistently being pushed back towards the edge. I shook my head at their poor teamwork. They were all so eager to be the star player that they forgot their strategy.

I wistfully watched Mizu. It wasn't fair that a person like him got to keep his bending when I didn't. Heck, his whole _branch_ of the family was messed up. All benders, all involved in crime to some degree. I didn't mind that we had limited interactions.

A little girl with bright green eyes tugged on my dress, pointing eagerly at the sweets I carried. I smiled, bending down so she could choose her purchase. With dark black hair and creamy pale skin, she reminded me almost exactly of Meiling.

Meiling. I layed in bed every night just praying that Meiling wasn't a bender, for her own safety. Without me around to protect her, I had no doubts my father would invoke his wrath without hesitation. He wouldn't see her as his perfect daughter anymore, only _that bender_. I should know. It's what happened to me.

I averted my gaze to the match, which was quickly drawing to a close. The Fire Ferrets were wiping the floor with the Ostrich Horses, and I was pretty sure they were going easy on them, too.

Akiko would have to find another job if we were going to continue meeting our monthly rent.

With a final spurt of flame from Mako, the Ferret's captain, Mizu was knocked into the drink, and the crowd cheered. I traded in my tray for a broom and began cleaning up the aisles, waiting for Akiko to meet me so we could walk home.

After about ten minutes, my friend stomped out of the dressing room, hair still dripping and uniform slung over her arm. She exhaled heavily and sent a flurry of sparks raining down to the ground. "Those two! It's all their fault," she steamed, quite literally, "I swear, it's like they don't understand how to function in a group."

I refrained from pointing out that she didn't either, but thought better of being the one to tick off and already miffed firebender. We entered into the crisp cool of the night, the scent of noodles drifting past from the restaurant across the road.

"Why don't we go for a walk and calm down?" I suggested softly, leading Akiko by the arm. We strolled down a few streets, the only sound coming from Akiko as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"Hey, do you know where we are?" she asked warily, clearly not familiar with the area. The last light from the setting sun was quickly dissipating, and a few of the more shady characters were slinking around in the alleyways. She relaxed a bit after creating a steady flame in her left palm, lighting the way and letting those with less-than-good intentions know she wasn't defenseless.

What happened next still defies logic in my opinion.

Somehow, in the light of Akiko's flame, our faces must have been illuminated enough to be recognizable. I suppose my legs must have unconsciously brought me back to the place I've walked to a thousand times. Meiling probably developed the habit of looking out the window in hopes of my return.

However it happened, my little sister identified me as I passed our house, and made her presence known. Loudly.

"QWING!" she shouted, climbing out through her first-floor window. "Qwing, wait for me! I want to come with you!"

I hurried towards Meiling, desperately trying to quiet the child before she woke our parents. She leapt into my open arms, wrapping her short legs tightly around my waist.

Akiko froze, staring at a dark figure behind my little sister. Her flame grew into a ball of fire, her posture subtly shifting to one of offense.

Neon green goggles shown in the darkness while an electric glove sparked to life. An Equalist. My father.

"Kidnapping a child from her home," a painfully familiar voice reprimanded, "just the sort of behavior I'd expect from benders."

Meiling's eyes grew wide as she, too, realized who this was. "Daddy, why?" she asked, so sadly I wanted to cry.

Akiko spun around, prepared to send a stream of fire in my direction as well. "Qing, you're an Equalist?" she shrieked, betrayal shining in the tears she tried to hide, "How could you? I _trusted you_! I _shared _a freaking _apartment_ with you!"

"Akiko, no!" I cried, stepping backwards as my father threatened my friend and I with the glove, "It's just him! I will _never _ forgive the Equalists for what they've done, let alone join them!" I winced as Meiling gently wiped away my tears.

"Oh, _please_, what have they done to you that's so terrible?" Akiko questioned, launching a fireball at my father. He easily dodged it, laughing at her words. "I wouldn't trust a girl like her," he warned Akiko, "since she _clearly_ does not feel the need to tell you the truth."

That was enough to push Akiko _way_ over the edge. She ran at him, fire flying. There was a sickening crack of electricity and my friend dropped to the ground, shaking.

My father turned around, advancing towards Meiling and I. "DON'T HURT MY QWIN!" she shouted, jumping from my arms to stand in front of me.

"Meiling, NO!" I dove to push her out of the way, but suddenly the piece of road beneath our father caved in.  
Meiling stomped her foot, and the pit grew even deeper. Astonishment creeped across her face as she realized what she had done. "I'm... a bender." Her pale green eyes suddenly lit up with excitement, as she pointed out to me her work. "I _did_ that, Qwin! I'm a bender!"

I kneeled down beside Akiko, gently helping her up. She was still a bit unsteady on her feet, but was overall recovered. "Your sister's an earthbender, congratulations," she mumbled half-heartedly, "Now what the _hell_ was your dad talking about? What else are you hiding from me?"

Meiling began bouncing between us, seeking praise. "Qwin, I'm like you now! I can bend, too!" she exclaimed with a huge smile.

Akiko's eyes widened in understanding. "You... you're a bender, Qing? Why would you lie about that? It's not like I'm an Equalist, or I hate benders or anything! For spirits' sakes, tell me you're a waterbender! We can kick Mizu off the team then! I admit, I was mad at first, but this is great!"

Akiko's grin fell as she took in my lack of enthusiasm. "You hate Equalists... because of what they did to you..." she recalled my words from before. She grabbed me in a tight hug, lifting me up a little to match her tall frame. "Oh, Qing, they took your bending, didn't they?"

I nodded slowly, my eyes not really seeing anything as my mind went back to that day.

All three of us were silent for a moment before I grabbed Meiling and hoisted her up into my arms once again. "Mei, you're going to come with us, alright? We'll have a sleepover for a little while, okay?"

She nodded happily. Akiko raised an eyebrow, her eyes still slightly sad after the discovery of my loss. Nevertheless, we continued the walk back to our apartment above the robe shop. Meiling soon fell asleep in my arms, lightly snoring.

"She's not going home." Akiko said it as a statement rather than a question.

"No," I admitted, "Obviously my father isn't fond of benders. I only left her behind last time because I didn't know. She was my father's favorite because she was _normal_," I spat the word, the painful insults resurfacing in my head.

"Why didn't you tell me before, though? I wouldn't have said anything to Mizu or Habiki.:

"Honestly, I just wanted to move on and forget. But I made it my secret mission to find the Avatar and ask her to restore my bending... but she doesn't know how," I told Akiko.

"Well we're not going to give up that easily, Qing-Yuan Liu," she smiled, "I'm in. And we are _going_ to get your bending back, I swear."


	4. A House is Not a Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra :(**

**Thank you to Marina Rose for reviewing the last chapter. (And yes, Meiling is sweet (: ) Check out the new cover, guys! It's my own original pixel art of Qing-Yuan. I'm pretty proud of it :) So, onward!**

The next morning was absolute chaos. Meiling was so overjoyed by her newfound talent that she began lifting any stone furniture and flinging it around the room. Akiko was frantically trying to reason with our angry landlord, whose shop below was "being disturbed by these shenanigans". It was bad enough that one bender already lived her, the angry woman hissed, but another, untrained one changed the entire story.

We were kicked out by noon. Sighing, Akiko and I packed our meager belongings into two canvas bags. Meiling's guilty look stopped us from complaining aloud. Neither of us wanted to be the one responsible for bringing tears to her bright green eyes.

I held tight onto Meiling's hand, fearful of losing her in the bustling midday crowd of Republic City. Ducking into a dumpling tent, we purchased a bag to share and reluctantly headed to Habiki and Mizu's apartment.

Our male friends resided in the less pristine part of the city, where most benders had been pressured several years ago. With the Equalists quickly rising to power, the shabbier places began to fill with benders seeking safety in numbers.

The smell of mildew and trash assaulted my nose, and I hugged my little sister close to my body as the three of us paraded up the crumbling cement stairs of the apartment building. We stopped at room 12A, and we could already hear the pair arguing from the musty hallway. Akiko and I exchanged a glance. How the boys lived together still hadn't ceased to surprise us. Clearly, they despised one another. I personally suspected that they each were desperate for conflict, thus were perfect company for each other. Akiko claimed that they had bonded while facing adversity during their childhood years, when they were neighbors.

"Habiki! Open up the door, will you?" Akiko called, pounding on the cracked wooden door and rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"That you, Ko?" Habiki boomed, bringing a halt to the argument behind the door.

"Will your door be burned down if you don't unlock it?" she shot back in her typical fashion.

There was a series of thuds and clicks as several locks were undone. Our large friend filled the doorframe, his goofy grin visibly putting Meiling at ease. "Who's this?" he asked, opening the door all the way and allowing us in.

I hadn't been in the boys' apartment since we first met. the walls were some dingy color that probably began as a pale blue, and there were obvious signs of water damage and missing chunks of floor and wall, undoubtedly from a bending brawl. Still the two managed to make the place livable, with a small table and chair set and the basic appliances along the far wall. A lone window allowed for a light breeze, though it brought with it a foul odor that I supposed residents eventually acquired immunity to.

"This is my little sister, Meiling," I introduced, "Mei, this is Habiki and Mizu." She stared at Mizu for a moment before recognition set in.

"I know you," she announced, frowning slightly.

"Yes," Mizu drawled, now leaning casually against the wall. "I know you, too. You're from the branch that had to be pruned to maintain the line of waterbenders in the family."

"Quit being like that around a little girl," Akiko admonished.

"Like what?" Mizu smirked, "Myself?"

"Yes, Mizu, kindly refrain from being yourself in the presence of children, the elderly, and the religious." Akiko replied, dead serious in her request.

"Nice to meet you, Meiling" Habiki greeted pleasantly, reaching out a giant paw to shake Mei's own miniature hand. The difference in size between the two was almost comical, but sweet at the same time.

"Hi, Habiki," she returned, smiling broadly at her new friend.

"Anyway, we're here because we got kicked out of our apartment," I admitted, garnering a shameful glance from Meiling, "Could we stay the night? We're going to look for a new place tomorrow, but we need somewhere to stay until then."

"Sure!" Habiki laughed, "Why would we say no to friends?"

"Because I hold Qing-Yuan in the absolute lowest regard possible and don't want her weakness to rub off on me," Mizu answered.

That was it for me. I charged at Mizu, catching him off guard and landing a punch straight in his face. When Akiko pulled me away to avoid the inevitable retribution, I could already spot a trickle of crimson from his now crooked nose, and took immense satisfaction in the sight.

"Why would you do that?" Akiko demanded of me, amber eyes flaring. "I'll airbend before the jerk lets us stay here!"

I was suddenly propelled forward and into the wall by a whip of water, which was quickly being succeeded by spikes of ice. I lifted Meiling off the floor and bolted for the door, allowing Akiko and Habiki to subdue MIzu until the little girl was safely out of the way. Akiko ducked into the hall moments later, narrowly avoiding a spike as she rolled to the floor and melted it with a burst of flame. We descended the stairs with even lower morale than we had arrived with, now without a place to sleep. The sun was still fairly high in the sky, but the few hours of daylight remaining would hardly be enough to find a new home in. Besides, between Akiko and I we only had about forty yuans, definitely insufficient funds for anyplace outside of the slums.

"Where are we going to sleep?" Meiling asked innocently, still hopeful.

Akiko slowly sank into a decrepit old bench, running her hands through her long black locks. "My village is about a three hour walk from here," she informed us, defeat in her voice, "My parents would never turn me away, especially with guests. We can stay there for a while, at least until we can earn enough for a better place."

I was stunned. The Akiko I knew would rather sleep in a trash can in the city than return to the painfully slow and predictable life she fled from years ago. I had no clue what had brought this sudden decision on.

"Akiko, we don't have to do that," I tried to reason.

She was on her feet in seconds, fists aflame. "Yes we do, Qing! We can't put her in danger!" Her voice grew weak and distant. "I can't watch her die again."

"_Again_?" I repeated, regretting it a moment later.

"I... I didn't run away... alone," she whispered, eyes fixed on an image invisible to my sister and I. "My... my sister came too. She was... was a firebender, too, and... and one night we were on the streets heading to a... to a noodle shop, and... and we ran into a gang... and they... they attacked us and she tried to fight back... but she _couldn't_ fight off all of them alone... I didn't know I was a bender, then... I didn't find out until they had already... already..." her words morphed into completely unrecognizable sounds, as she collapsed into the dusty unpaved road.

I held her in my arms as I would Meiling when she cried, which is when it occurred to me to check where my sister was.

Where she was was in the back of an Equalist van speeding away.


	5. Broken Promises

**Thank you to my anonymous reviewer. Next time if you leave a username, I can reply to you through PM :)**

**Thank you also to Marina Rose, who has shown fantastic continuous support of this story. I really do appreciate your reviews :) And by the way I didn't think to nickname Meiling Mei until you used it in your review, so thanks, it's so cute :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra or any of its characters. And honestly, I hardly use them anyway. Woot for OC's!**

I bolted after the Satomobile, screaming Meiling's name as I desperately tried to save my little sister. Akiko snapped out of her mourning and sped to my side, hurling fireballs towards the drivers of the vehicle. The back doors were loosely chained, and I could see little Mei through the crack.

Hope surged through me and carried me the final few feet to catch up with the Satomobile. I hopped onto the back bumper, whispering to Meiling through the crack. "Mei, I'm going to get you out, I promise."

She nodded, sobbing quietly. "Qwin, are they going to take my bending too?"

I winced, but hid it quickly with a fake smile to reassure my sister. The Satomobile shuddered as it crossed a pothole, knocking me off the bumper as it did so,

"No. Meiling, don't let them know you can bend!" The distance between us was quickly growing.

Akiko hurled fireballs at the drivers' end in an attempt to slow their progress, but the metal appeared to be fireproof.

"QWIN!" Meiling shouted, reaching a tiny hand out to me as she disappeared from my view.

I kept running even after I couldn't see or hear her. I had no idea how long I'd been going. The sinking sun and my fatigued muscles were my only indications of time passed. Akiko propelled herself the last few feet with bursts of flame, landing softly at my side as I crumpled into the dust.

"Mei..." I breathed, clawing at the dirt of the unpaved road beneath my hands. "MEI! MEI!" I tried to sprint again, but my aching legs would not perform.

Akiko put on her brave face and tried to comfort me, but within minutes both of us were freely crying in each others' arms. We mourned our lost sisters together, though I at least had the small comfort of knowing mine was alive, if not with me.

"How will we find her?" I eventually asked as we picked ourselves up and stared at the abandoned factories and rubble surrounding us. I realized where we were. Years ago, these factories had been state of the art, the shining symbols of progress. But they had been left behind when progress progressed, as progress is oft to do, and they had since fallen into such disrepair that no one deemed them worth salvaging.

Gray was the only color in sight. Even the sky, growing dark and filled with clouds, was an ominous shade of gray. The air was tinged with a harsh scent of chemicals and oil, no doubt remnants of what used to be.

Akiko didn't answer me for a good few minutes, instead choosing to survey how best to get out of the dump. "We're getting back your bending first," she finally said, sounding distant and detached from the matter.

Anger flared inside of me at her lack of compassion, and I knew for sure that if I was a firebender, I'd be a human torch. "My _bending_ first? My little sister is in the hands of the Equalists, and you're more concerned with getting my bending back _first_?"

She remained cool and unaffected, beginning to walk determinedly down the path she had chosen. "Yes," she replied simply, "To fight off the Equalists surrounding her, we need to be serious. I'm a good bender, but you're completely useless at the moment. I'm not trying to insult you, I only mean in fighting terms. You either have to learn hand-to-hand combat or regain your bending, and since we've already started on the latter, we're sticking with it. The Equalists don't kill captives, it's not their style. The worst they would do is remove her bending, but you already told her to hide it so she should be fine. We aren't giving up on her. Don't think for one minute, QIng-Yuan, that I am giving up on your sister. I couldn't save Akira. Every single day that haunts me. It's too late for her, though, so I have to move on and focus my energy on helping someone else, someone who it isn't too late for. Right now that's you, Qing, because you need it more than you know. Any questions?"

We made it back to the populated area of Republic City without a word, Akiko's constant flame guiding our way through the night. "You know, the championship for Pro-Bending was tonight," Akiko informed me absentmindedly as we passed the domed arena, "It was the Fire Ferrets against the Wolf Bats, I believe."

"I wonder who won," I said just to humor her. At this point, I couldn't have cared less.

Akiko suddenly stopped walking, causing me to crash into her from behind. "Qing! I know!" she exclaimed.

"What?" I asked grumpily, rubbing my head where it had collided with hers.

"Your bending! We can go to the Avatar Aang's Memorial and pray to the spirits! The current Avatar may not know what to do, but the past ones will!"

"Ko, that's just..." I paused to contemplate her suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, but I honestly didn't care about my bending so long as my sister was in danger. I didn't care about anything. But Akiko was a force to be reckoned with, and she was determined to help me regain my abilities first: the sooner that happened, the sooner we could rescue Mei. "Okay," I agreed, "in the morning. We'll take the first ferry at dawn."

We settled for a wooden bench near the docks and drifted off to sleep, lulled by the chatter of nocturnal creatures and hobos. Tomorrow, I vowed, would be brighter.


	6. The Flame

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra**

**Hey, guys... my traffic stats say that 125 people are reading this story... so I was pretty sad to see that only one person reviewed my last chapter. I'm now taking a college course which is pretty intense, so maintaining a roughly every-few-days update schedule will be very difficult, but I plan to do it. In return, I just ask that someone let me know how the chapter was :) **

**BUT I love you all nevertheless, as I myself am occasionally guilty of reading on my Nook and not reviewing due to the tiny keyboard :) **

**AND thank you sooo much to my anonymous reviewer, I wish I could thank you through a Pm or by name, but you know who you are and I 3 you :)**

**Onward, my friends -**

It's been a week. A long week. It turns out that the Ostrich Horse's loss actually saved them from the pandemonium at the championships. The Equalists attacked. I don't know why it surprised everyone so much. Really, it was only a matter of time, in my opinion.

I sort of understand Akiko now, and why she does the things she does. As much as I want to sit in a corner and cry about Mei, it won't help her or me one bit. I have to be strong and move on like I did with my bending, so that one day I can regain what's been lost.

The two of us spent three days at the Avatar Aang Memorial, with no help. We ran out of funds to continue on our meditation and were forced to find new jobs, as neither of ours were still available. Akiko was hopeless at bending lightning, so that was out of the question as a career option. I eventually found employment in a restaurant washing dishes and cleaning floors. It didn't pay well, but I considered myself lucky to be hired so quickly. Akiko was still on the job hunt, and decided yesterday to lie about her firebending in hopes of avoiding discrimination.

My meager salary wasn't enough to keep us fed much longer, and the issue of housing was still unresolved. Park benches were becoming our new beds. I could tell that Akiko was beginning to consider returning home for a while, however much she hated the idea.

I grimaced as my new boss shoved open the door to the kitchen, shouting at the cook and I because we were "worthless and lazy". It was obvious that he was drunk and angry about something else, so his outburst didn't bother me much. The cook, however, was a quiet and eager to please young man, and seemed highly disturbed at this. As soon as the boss left, I attempted to relieve his anxiety.

"He's just drunk, is all," I shrugged, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He started, nearly dropping the entire bowl of flour into the dough he was mixing. I pulled away, embarrassed that I had made him so nervous. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that," I apologized hurriedly, cheeks growing warm.

He offered a small smile, "It's okay. And I saw him downing a bottle before, I just... don't appreciate being degraded all the time like that, you know?"

I nodded sympathetically. Growing up with a father who hated you for something you have no control over made me hard in this aspect, but I still felt the sting of his insults in the back of my mind. "I do. My name is Qing-Yuan, by the way."

"Nozomo," he introduced, Nozomo Ito. My dad was the cook here before me." He said this with a sort of quiet pride, and it was obvious how much he looked up to his dad. Times like this made me wish for a parent like that. But wishing gets you nowhere, as I quickly learned as a young girl.

"Do you have any siblings?" I inquired further, trying to make conversation to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I had two," he answered curtly, "Can you hand me three clean bowls for the noodles?"

I did as he asked, carefully balancing the ceramic bowls in my arms as I crossed the tile floor. Our hands brushed as he took them from me one by one, eliciting a gentle rosy blush from each of us. I quickly paced back to the sink, grimacing at the new stack of plates, bowls, and utensils that the waiter had just delivered.

"Where are you from?" Nozomo asked after a few moments of quiet.

I paused before responding, deciding how much of the truth I would divulge. "Dragon Flats."

His eyebrows arched up at a comically fast rate. "But that's-that's _really_ active Triad territory!"

My hometown didn't have a fantastic reputation, to say the least. "Yeah, it is," I agreed.

The corners of his mouth tugged down as he ladled broth over the noodles in each bowl. "Do they hassle your family often?"

The Triads threatened my father exactly once. That was long before I knew his secret allegiances, and I was amazed that after a quick conversation they scurried off like frightened lemurs.

"No," I answered honestly, "They were never really a problem for us."

Nozomo carried the steaming orders to the swinging doors of the kitchen, where the waiter took them to their respective tables.

"The Triad threatens all non-benders in that area," he scoffed, "how do you get away unscathed?"

"I don't actually live with my parents anymore," I told him.

"Why not?" he paused, looking embarrassed, "That is, if that's not too personal of a question."

I smiled gently, shaking my head. "I just needed to get away. My father is not an easy man to get along with, and my mother pays about as much attention to me as she does to the lilies in the park."

His eyes grew softer, and he definitely was uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. "Oh, I'm sorry," he mumbled awkwardly, "Where do you live now?"

"Whatever park bench look cozy until I make enough to pay rent again," I admitted.

"Well, you could stay with me and my family until you can get a place of your own," he offered generously.

"We barely know each other, Nozomo, I can't ask that of you. Besides, I'm with a friend of mine, Akiko."

"She could stay, too," he insisted, "There are plenty of empty rooms in my house, and my mom adores having guests."

I hesitated, taking in his increasingly hopeful expression. "If you're sure, then I guess just a few nights would be great."

He grinned. "Fantastic. We can pick up your friend on the way home. Where is she right now?"

"Trying to find work. She hasn't had good luck looking for a job. But we're supposed to meet at the fountain down the block when she's done, so we could wait together for her there."

Nozomo glanced at the clock hanging above the stove. "Our shift ends in four minutes. Let's just clean up and we can go."

I grabbed the mop and set to work. I wanted to get out of the heat resulting from several stoves burning at once.

Nozomo and I hung up our aprons and checked out with the boss before heading out into the crisp breeze of a Spring night. It was only beginning to grow dark, but the music of crickets and other nocturnal creatures was a symphony around us. The odor of grease lingered in the air behind the restaurant's staff door, but the wind carried it away once we hit the streets.

"There are two girls by the fountain," Nozomo announced, having a better view due to his extra foot of height, "One with short brown hair, blue eyes, other long black hair, amber eyes. Which one is Akiko?"

"Black hair, amber eyes. I think she had on an orange shirt with black stitching."

He nodded. "Yes, that's her then."

We arrived at the fountain, where a refreshing mist floated almost mystically. Akiko saw me and smiled, hopping down from her perch and showing me a pin with her name printed neatly on it. "I got a job!" she announced happily, then began sizing up my new companion. "And who is this?"

"Nozomo," he introduced, offering a firm handshake and a shy grin.

"We work together at Lee's Noodle Palace," I informed Akiko, "he has a few extra rooms at his place where we can stay for a few days."

Akiko's left eyebrow lifted up, her signature sign of disapproval. "Qing, you know how I feel about accepting charity."

"It's not charity," Nozomo argued politely, "it's a friend offering a friend a favor. She makes my job enjoyable."

I averted my eyes to the flowing water, embarrassed by his proclamation. "Ko, just a few nights. It's better than sleeping on the streets hoping we're not mugged by hobos."

Akiko rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine, Qing. And thank you, Nozomo, you are too generous."

We let Nozomo lead the way, and I have to admit I was surprised when we began entering the richer side of the city. How could the son of a cook live in a well-off neighborhood?

His house was even more shocking. Standing tall and proud on a well-manicured expanse of grass, it rose three stories and was a beautiful stone.

He ushered us indoors, where we were met by a kind-looking older woman sharing Nozomo's wavy brown hair and dark green eyes. "Hello, Mo. Who are your friends?" She asked pleasantly, smiling at us and seating us on a plush sofa in their parlor.

"Mom, this is Qing-Yuan Liu, and Akiko..."

"Kaji," she finished, "Nice to meet you, Nozomo's mom."

"Mom, they've been living on the streets for a while and I was hoping they could stay here for a bit, until they can get a place of their own?"

She placed a warm hand on each of our shoulders. "Of course, girls. Stay as long as you like."

She turned to Nozomo and said, "Dinner is in a half hour. Why don't you sit in the gazebo until then? There's a lantern already lit out there, and I'll call you all in, okay?"

We nodded and did as suggested, sitting in an intricately carved wooden gazebo. "I don't mean to be ride, Mo, but I thought your dad was a cook?"

He waved it off. "He got a new job since then," he said without elaboration.

"So where'd you get a job?" I asked Akiko, realizing she hadn't said.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up, "At a tea shop called the Red Dragon. It's actually for the younger crowd, we should go hang out there sometime. But my boss is really nice, and I get along well enough with my co-workers... just like you two," she grinned mischievously.

I looked up and realized that Nozomo and I had somehow ended up leaning against each other. He quickly put a bit of distance between us, sliding over a few inches.

I had to admit, he was cute when he was socially awkward.

"Yeah, we... get along," he mumbled.

"Nozomo!" his mother called from the window, urging us inside.

We all settled around the table, which was full of various steaming dishes and a few candles. A stocky man with black hair and brown eyes entered the room, waving to Nozomo and his mother and taking the seat at the head of the table. "Hello, everyone," he greeted in a voice that sounded so identical to Nozomo's, I was momentarily confused. He began heaping food onto his plate, signalling the rest of us to do so. I spotted a few of my favorites, along with several foods I was unfamiliar with.

"Dear, these are Nozomo's friends Qing-Yuan Liu and Akiko Kaji," Nozomo's mother told his father, "they will be staying with us for a while."

He nodded, mouth full of food. "Liu... Is your father's first name Akio?"

I swallowed slowly, nodding. "Um, yes. I take it that you know him?" I was worried now. I had no idea what this man's "new job" was, but he had certainly made it big fast. If he was involved in a gang, being associated with an Equalist father would not help me at all.

"Of course I know Akio!" the man chuckled, "We're good friend for about two years now. I thought his daughter's name was Meiling?"

My heart skipped a beat. Here it came, all flooding back to drown me amid a sea of worry and loss. My sister, my baby sister... and I had been doing so _well_.

"Yeah, he probably didn't tell you he has two daughters," Akiko said haughtily, her opinion of my father obviously poor.

"Oh, I'm sure he mentioned her, I probably didn't hear him," Mr. Ito assured me, growing a little defensive of his friend's reputation.

"I, um, left home a few years ago, so... that's probably why," I said, even though I knew that wasn't the true reason.

"How _do_ you know my father?" I asked warily.

A breeze blew in through the open window, extinguishing the candles and plunging the room into darkness.

"From work, of course," Mr. Ito responded just as Akiko re-lit the candles with firebending. Every eye in the room was trained on my friend, a small flame still dancing in her palm before she formed a fist, putting it out. Realizing she had unwittingly become the center of attention, Akiko laughed nervously. "What, you've never seen a firebender before?"

There was no response. Mr. Ito worked with my father. Who was an Equalist. Mr. Ito now lived in a mansion. He was probably a high-up Equalist.

And my friend just firebended the candles in his dining room.


	7. Circumstantial Love

**Thank you so much to Marina Rose for fantastic continued support and comments. You are one of the main reasons I try so hard to update regularly :) You guys don't know it, but she helped me with a major plot decision and because of it, you are getting this update significantly earlier than you would have otherwise :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra. Or a panda. But I realized that neither can be mine legally.**

**And just so you know, this is still rated T despite what you may think as you read. It won't go anywhere dirty, I promise :)**

**Onward with the plotline, my friends :) (by the way I picture Bolin on a horse saying this)**

When something really, really bad is about to happen, time seems to slow down for a moment. I took in everything around me in slow motion and vivid detail.

Mr. Ito was pushing himself up from the table with a scowl on his face, Mrs. Ito's hand flew to her mouth in shock, dropping a crystal glass in the process. And Nozomo just sat there, wide-eyed.

Akiko looked genuinely scared for a moment before her firebender temper kicked in. She leapt out of her seat and moved into her usual Pro-Bending stance, elbows drawn back and ready to punch forward blasts of flame.

I remained frozen in my chair. I felt so powerless at that moment that I truly did not know what to do. I shot a pleading look at Nozomo, hoping he would defend my friend. He saw, and slowly stood up. "Dad, can we just sit down and finish dinner like civilized people? These are my friends, not criminals," he interceded.

Mr. Ito looked insulted. "Nozomo, I thought you felt the same way about benders! You always come to every rally!"

Mrs. Ito looked down at her lap, "Boys, please calm down for a moment. Please just put your prejudices aside for one night. We promised these girls a place to stay the night, and they should be treated like guests."

Shaking his head, Mr. Ito sank back into his seat and resumed eating without a word. Akiko relaxed slightly, her fingertips still alight with small embers. Once she realized the current threat had subsided for the time being, she too resumed her seat.

Nozomo reached over to put an arm around my shoulder. I tensed momentarily, then saw the apologetic look in his eyes. I leaned into his arm more, knowing he hadn't intended to hurt Akiko or I. He may support the Equalists in theory, but attitudes don't always dictate behavior.

Akiko didn't eat anymore, still visibly uncomfortable with the situation. But the nights were still cold despite the season, and she knew that we needed a warm place to stay.

After dinner, a servant cleared the table and Mr. Ito rose to exit the room. He turned towards Akiko and I for a moment before leaving. "The bender has one night of safety. Qing-Yuan, you are welcome to stay as long as you like." Then he was gone.

Akiko glared at me as if it were my fault. "The _bender_ has no name," she huffed, "but the runaway daughter of an Equalist gets unlimited boarding."

"Nozomo, why don't you show the girls to their rooms?" Mrs. Ito suggested.

He nodded and brought us down a long corridor. We arrived at two doors, one of which Nozomo indicated was Akiko's room. She entered without a word, slamming the door behind her.

Nozomo opened the second door for me, letting me in before him and following me in as he turned on the lights. I noticed one large bed with blue sheets in the corner, and various photographs and drawings pinned all over the walls. "Mo... is this _your_ room?" I asked, confused.

"Um, yeah," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "The other rooms don't have beds, so I figured we could just... share." At my look of shock, he ammended, "fully clothed, of course. It's just until we can get you your own."

"Oh, um, okay," I agreed, then realizing something. "Um, I don't have pajamas. I had a bag of my belongings, but I don't know where it went. I swore I had it in your parlor before..."

His eyebrow quirked. "That's strange. Oh well, you can just borrow something. I have a baggy shirt that should suffice."

He rifled through his drawers, finally producing said shirt. He turned around as I changed quickly, blushing as I did so. We finally climbed into bed, and he turned out the lights. I hadn't realized how tired I was until I hit the soft, luxurious mattress. I drifted off to sleep within minutes. I woke sweating. Wondering why I was so hot, I realized that Nozomo had me held tightly to his chest while he slept, and he was radiating body heat. Not wanting to wake him, I stayed still, contemplating my current situation.

I felt like my relationship with Nozomo was moving at a much faster pace than most, though I had no past experience in the dating category. I definitely felt something with him, but knowing that his father was a high-up Equalist, and that Nozomo himself supposedly attended every rally... it definitely complicated matters.

Akiko won't like it, for sure.

But Mo had defended my friend and I. He clearly liked me. I couldn't be sure, though, until I told him about my past as a bender. If he can't accept that part of me, then he obviously doesn't love me for who I am. But I don't know that yet.

He began to stir, and his eyes peeked open to stare into mine. Almost without thinking, Nozomo pulled me even closer and kissed me.

"How _could_ you, Qing?" Akiko's voice hit my ears, and I had to push Nozomo off of me to see her standing in the doorway, looking utterly betrayed. Her bag slung over her shoulder and her coat in her arms, she was clearly on her way out, and had probably expected me to come with her.

"Ko, it's not at _all_ what it looks like," I tried to reason, getting out of bed to talk to her.

Her eyes took in the oversized shirt which just barely covered my thighs, and she shook her head. "Oh, I'm sure you didn't intentionally betray your best friend for a guy you _just met_. And to think, I was going to help you." She was gone before I could stop her, and Nozomo came up behind me with comforting arms. He rested his chin on my head as I tried to hold back tears.

"Shhh, Qing, don't worry about it. She's just overreacting. I'm sure she'll be back later to apologize," he murmured soothingly, "Why don't we go have some breakfast?"

I felt terribly guilty, but Nozomo was right. Akiko was notorious for her temper, and she would surely return after she went to work. She would understand after I explained the circumstances.

We went to the dining room, where breakfast was already laid out for three. The two of us sat down, and were soon joined by Mr. Ito, who seemed to be in a considerably better mood. "Good morning, Qing," he greeted, munching on toast, "I have to say I'm happy my son found such a beautiful girlfriend. He's a fine young man, he deserves a woman like you, no?"

I blushed at his flattery, then realized he had labeled us as a couple. "Oh, we're not actually dating_,_" I corrected, and was met by a dejected look from Nozomo.

"Nozomo, it seems that my tea lacks sugar. Bring this back to the kitchen and get some for me, will you?" Nozomo nodded and carried away the cup dutifully.

The moment Mo was out of earshot, Mr. Ito leaned forward menacingly. "Listen, Miss Liu," he whispered, "I am the Lieutenant of the Equalists. If you want your Pro-Bender safe, you will be madly in love with my son. Whatever any of my family asks of you, you will comply. And under absolutely no circumstance will you tell a soul about our agreement. Believe me, I will no if you put one toe out of line, and then... your friend gets it. Understand?"

I nodded, my body draining of all warmth.

Nozomo cheerfully arrived with a new steaming cup of tea and a saucer full of sugar cubes. "I brought extra for you, Qing. I don't know how you like your tea."

"However you make it, Mo, I like it," I replied, sharing a quick glance with Mr. Ito before making eye contact with Nozomo.

"So, Qing," he began, "our shift doesn't start until noon, so we have the whole morning to ourselves. What would you like to do?"

"I was just talking with Qing about the new botanical gardens. She hasn't seen them yet, but wants to go. Why don't you spend the morning there?" His face remained jovial, but the underlying tone in his suggestion was unmistakably assertive.

Nozomo's eyes lit up. "That sounds fantastic! I love those gardens!"

We rushed through our meal and returned to Nozomo's room to get dressed. A simple black silk robe with pale blue trim had been laid out on the freshly made bed, and Mo indicated that it he had requested it for me last night. I smiled at the thoughtful gesture, and realized that the trim complemented my eyes very nicely.

There were much worse people to be forced into a relationship with.

We took a carriage to the gardens, despite the family's collection of Satomobiles. Nozomo confided that he still preferred the traditional method of travel. We sat alone, and each bump threw us a little closer together. "So, Qing... when you said we weren't dating, did you mean you didn't _want_ to, or...?"he trailed off uncertainly.

"Oh, of course not," I assured him with Akiko's safety in mind, "I would be thrilled to date a guy like you." I wasn't ready for a relationship yet. I really needed to sort my own life out first. But this wasn't about me...

"So, will you... be my girlfriend, Qing-Yuan?" he asked with tremendous trepidation, "I know we haven't known each other long, but, I really like you, and..."

I faked a giant grin. "Yes, Mo, I like you a lot too."

Nozomo seemed to have gained a new level of confidence at my affirmation. "There's this beautiful little spot in the gardens that I know you'll love, Qing. The flowers are almost as vibrant and unique as you," he smiled.

We climbed out of the carriage and strolled into the gardens. It was relatively empty, and after we were past an initial fork in the path, we were by our lonesome. Mo steered us through the winding topiaries until we reached a little alcove amongst some cherry blossom trees. If he hadn't pointed it out, I was sure I wouldn't have even noticed it. "Here it is," he breathed in awe as he helped me onto the little marble bench that had been placed delicately inside. He sat next to me and pulled me into his lap, hugging me close. "You know, we don't even have to go to work. I only kept that job because my father wanted me to get out of the house and stop moping. But now that I have you, I don't think I could ever be unhappy again," Mo confessed, murmuring in my ear.

In that moment, it was so easy to pretend we were a normal new couple, concerned only with each other. Maybe, for him, that fantasy was reality. But as soon as he drew his head away from my neck, my usual anxiety returned. Akiko. My bending. Mei, oh my little Mei... but I was doing this only to protect a friend, who in turn was helping me restore my waterbending and reclaim my sister. Nozomo was a means to an end, and I couldn't let myself become emotionally attached or things would become even more complicated.

But staring into his deep emerald eyes, glowing in the golden sunlight filtering through the leaves, I couldn't bear to detach myself from the feeling in my heart.


	8. To Hate Oneself

**Thank****you****to****Marina****Rose****and****Crystal****-****Wolf****-****Guardian****-967 ****for****their****great****reviews****! ****Love****you****guys**** :)**

**Disclaimer****: ****I****do****not****own****Legend****of****Korra****, ****folks**** ;)**

**Onwards****, ****says****Bolin****the****Equestrian****! (****that****'****s****a****dude****who****rides****horses****, ****btw****)**

Nozomo suggested we quit our jobs at the restaurant, and of course I had to agree. I begged him, though to let me collect my wages for the week and give them to Akiko in an envelope. We were now outside of the Red Dragon, and I paused before going in. "Let me come with you, sweetheart," Mo implored, not liking to leave me alone now that I had confirmed I was his.

He followed me in, and we got a table in the back corner. Nozomo insisted that we at least have lunch here so that we could tip Akiko, so he ordered us dumplings and a pot of green tea with honey.

Akiko came over to our table, wearing her name tag, and began taking our order when she looked up from her pad. "Oh, look, it's the Equalist couple," she drawled sarcastically, giving her trademark eyeroll.

"Ko, you have to understand, I'm not betraying you," I pleaded, trying desperately to convey a message with my eyes. She wasn't picking up.

"I don't _have__to__understand_ anything!" she exclaimed, her escalating voice beginning to draw attention. Another waiter came over to her and whispered in her ear. She clenched her teeth, but nodded as he walked away. "What would you like, sir?" she asked with a sickeningly sweet tone. Nozomo ordered for both of us and handed Akiko the menu as she scowled and stalked away. I swore I could see a faint trail of smoke drifting from her clenched fist.

The other waiter brought our dumplings and tea, so we handed him the envelope and instructed him to give it to Akiko. He went over and handed it to her as we left, and I could hear her voice from the street: "Is she freaking _kidding_ me?"

Nozomo held my hand tightly in his huge one as we rode back to his mansion, and I spent the entire ride trying to fight back tears. He seemed to sense my distress, and didn't bother me.

At the door, we were once again greeted by Mrs. Ito, who seemed overjoyed at our clasped hands and smiles (his genuine and mine excruciatingly forced). Though very kind and generous, she struck me as a rather dim-witted woman, most likely married for her looks or familial connections.

"Oh, dears, you make the most adorable couple, don't you? Of course you do!" she squealed, clapping her hands in a childish display of happiness.

"Um, thanks, Mom," Mo mumbled awkwardly after a moment of silent smiling at each other, and then hung up our coats on hooks hung neatly by the door. My bag of clothes had been "located" in the morning, and I had no doubt Mr. Ito had orchestrated the entire fiasco. It only fueled my fierce need for revenge, and my drive to restore what had been taken from me.

Nozomo led me to his room, where we sat on the edge of his bed. I absentmindedly ran my fingers over the soft sheets, which had been crisply made since we had been here last (by maids, likely). "Mo, there's something I really need to know," I began, "Your dad said you go to _every__rally_. Do you-?"

"Do I _what_?" he asked tersely, face stiff. "Do I really go to them? Yes, I do. Do I believe in the cause?" He looked out the window, his thoughts seeming to trail off along with his words. "To an extent."

Something occurred to me. "You said you had siblings... were they killed by bending?"

His head slowly turned to face me again. His eyes were hard and his lips were pressed into a thin line. "Someone in my mother's family was an earthbender. She isn't a bender, but apparently it can skip a few generations."

The implications were numerous. Was Nozomo saying _he_ could bend, or his siblings? Or all of them? "Mo, are you a... a bender?"

"My brother Daiki was one of the best wrestlers this city has ever seen. He was in the ring with this other massive guy, and my brother was winning. But then this guy somehow got out of Daiki's grip, and he went to throw a punch and..." He looked earnestly into my eyes, searching for something I couldn't identify. "...and a slab of rock came out of the floor and crushed my brother."

"The other wrestler was a bender? He killed your brother?" I attempted to finish the story for him.

"No, Qing, he didn't kill Daiki. And that's why I hate benders."

"But if he didn't kill you brother, then-"

"HE DIDN'T KILL MY BROTHER!" Nozomo roared, grabbing me violently by the shoulders as he began to cry. "I did."


	9. Surrounded by Loss

**Thank you to Marina Rose for reviewing :) Made my day! **

**As always, I don't own Legend of Korra. **

"You're an earthbender." I whispered. It wasn't a question; it was a confirmation.

He nodded weakly. "I was cheering him on, Qing-Yuan. I was cheering him on, and I was punching the air, and _I made that rock fly_. I honestly never would have guessed I was a bender. I didn't want to be, anyway. My father was abused by bending gangs for so long, like so many others. He raised the three of us with a grudge against benders. Once he got involved with the Equalists, things finally started working out for our family. Dad was happier, we were able to move out of Dragon Flats and into a big house. I found a cause to fight for. Daiki was able to get into more competitions with my father's new influence."

"Can you still? Bend, I mean?" I needed to know. Somehow, in my mind, if he could _still_ bend, even if he held a grudge against my kind (no, _our kind_), there was hope.

"Can't we forget about it, Qing? It's a part of me I wish never existed. It took my brother away from me. It's a curse!" The pleading in his voice was saddening.

"Please, Mo, it's important. Can you?"

"No. I went straight to Amon and begged him to take it away as soon as he revealed his power to do so."

My blood ran cold. "You mean, at the rally?" The rally that began my downwards spiral?

"Of course. You were there." He confirmed offhandedly.

So yes, at the rally where a piece of my soul was torn away.

But wait. He knew I was there. He _saw_. "You _knew_? This whole time, you've _known_ I had my bending taken away?" I couldn't. I couldn't love him, for real or pretend, if he had accepted that.

His eyes widened in shock. "You were one of those benders? On the stage? After the firebender, they brought out some waterbenders, but they were just _kids_!"

"Yes, we were," I spat. "Jiang lost most of his jobs since they required bending, and his mom died. I ran away from home. One of the others took her own life because she couldn't deal with the loss. We WERE just kids. But the Equalists took our childhood, too. Tell me, Nozomo, is the experience less traumatic when it's _voluntary?" _I spat the last word, the pure anger I felt giving my words an even sharper edge.

"Qing, I..." He paused, taking in my raw emotion as it flooded all of my small frame. "Yes," he admitted. "It hurts less."

"I was going to _trust_ you!," I began to laugh hysterically, "I thought you were different, that you would accept me for who I am, for all of who I am. But you know what? You're just another standard issue equalist, blindly following a monster and lashing out at innocent people because they are _different_ and you don't know how to accept that, and then, and _then,_ you took it one fantastic step further! You _willingly_ gave up what made you special so that you could fit in with all the rest!"

Tears fell freely from both of our eyes. I had upset him, a lot. And I didn't even care. This is what the Equalists had done to me.

"And what makes _you_ any better?" he shot back, "You, who walks around with a chip on her shoulder, thinking the only important thing in her life is bending? That that's the _only_ thing that could make me, or _anyone_, special?"

I couldn't take it any more. I reached behind me and grabbed a small jade figurine from Nozomo's table and hurled it at his face. Blinded by rage, I missed spectacularly, but the sentiment was felt. "They took my little sister away. I don't know what they've done to her, or if she's even alive. Don't you _ever_ tell me what I deem important. The only reason I even _pretended _to like you is because your father threatened Akiko! But she doesn't need my protection, not this way. I'm going to go back and _beg_ her to forgive me for treating her like trash, for _allowing_ you and your stupid equalist family from treating her like trash. Goodbye, Nozomo Ito."

Grabbing my worn gray bag with my few clothes, I ran out of the mansion as quickly as possible. I needed to find Akiko, and quickly. She was my best friend, who had always supported me and helped me, and I needed to make it up to her, _somehow_. Pushing my way through the crowd, I made my way to the Red Dragon, my cheeks still burning from the salty tears.

In my haste, I tripped over the short wall of a fountain. The wind was knocked out of me as I landed with a splash in the shallow pool. How cruel it felt, to be surrounded by my element at a time like this. To feel the water but not _feel_ the water. I made no attempt to get out on my own, instead choosing to be selfish for a short while and wallow in self-pity.

Akiko's face flashed in my mind. I could picture her expression of disgust at my actions, at my willingness to give up so easily. Her anger that my sister, unlike hers, was very likely still alive, and just needed to be rescued. I squeezed my stomach muscles and lifted myself up, trying to dry off as best as I could. A few people stared, but I couldn't find the need to care.

I wandered around the area for a bit, attempting to locate the Red Dragon. I couldn't for the life of me remember the address, or even what it was in the proximity of, and thus had to resort to aimless walking in the hopes of getting lucky and happening upon the tea shop.

The sun was beginning to set, and I still hadn't found the shop. Exhausted and hungry, I slumped into a bench and closed my eyes for a moment. Listening, I took in the sounds of Republic City in the evening: some turtle ducks quacking, people making their ways home from work, and... what was that shouting? I opened only one suspicious eye and scoped out my surroundings. The pond on the left, the entrance to the park to my right, and the street I had walked to get here before me.

Lifting my tired body out of the bench, I resolved to follow the voice until I could determine it's origins. Passing by several stores flipping their "Open" signs to "Closed", I turned down a well-lit alley which led to a street running parallel to the other. As I walked further down the sidewalk, I came to a heavy metal door which was slightly ajar. Yellow light spilled out, illuminating a wedge of the street and drawing me in.

Ah, this was where the voice was coming from. It was louder now, much louder. I slid in, trying my best not to make the door creak as I did so, and felt like someone had punched me in the chest. Red banners, cheering mob, larger-than-life posters of a mask.

I had walked right into an Equalist rally.


End file.
